An extensive experimental study into the relationships between tensiotrace features and surface tension of alcohols and bifunctional liquids has produced a series of empirical relationships. The use of this 'inside the rainbow' studies for pendant drops is known as optical tensiography. A series of empirical relationships discovered will enable the experimental measurement of surface tension without the correction factors that have been used since the development of the drop volume/weight method over a century ago for a restricted range of liquids. This approach offers potentially important applications in surface science and it is also suggested how these new relationships will be tested using theoretical models developed by the authors in the ongoing work. This paper provides the first experimental investigation into the commencement of the tensiotrace, a position at which optical coupling begins, which reveals measurement possibilities.
Image processing, signal processing and computer vision are
increasing in importance, and are indeed slowly being considered
as core competences in computer science. The specification of
computing curricula by the ACM and the IEEE Computer Society
states that technical advances over the past decade have increased the importance of topics such as graphics and multimedia, and considers as a core topic Graphics and Visual Computing. With the advent of courses in digital media in electrical engineering and computer science, the increasing importance of computer imaging and vision is manifest, and not only in electrical engineering and computer science departments. The need for development and training of research students is more often than not badly catered for at the present time in Irish universities (Republic, Northern Ireland).
Research students are often from diverse discipline and educational
system backgrounds. A characteristic of a dynamic and effective
graduate and research student environment is not just the raw
numbers of PhDs produced, but also relative consensus on the
part of the 'community' on the most effective major directions
of innovation and of focus. On any such qualitative characteristic,
Irish universities, institutes of technology and research
institutes are not performing well. Successful models for such community-strengthening include doctoral networks at European level, and summer schools at national or regional level. This paper addresses specific issues: (i) the means by which the needs for graduate research level community-strengthening in the areas of signal processing, and image processing and computer vision, can be satisfied; (ii) what the most crucial elements of these fields are, i.e. proposed key areas and curricula.
Information navigation and search on the part of a user requires thorough description of the information content of signal and image datasets and archives. Large signal and image databases need comprehensive metadata to facilitate user access. There is no unique way to describe the semantics of images and signals. Therefore a conceptual model serves as an initial platform. From the conceptual
model, a database design can be derived, or a definition of metadata. The different steps from model to description can benefit from tools such as the Unified Modeling Language (UML) for the conceptual model, standard Entity/Relationship (ER) models for database design, and eXtensible Markup Language (XML) for metadata description. As examples of the process of conceptual design and semantic description, we consider the case of a signal database, and the case of astronomical image databases.
The work which we report on here makes use of a new (patented)
technique for measuring the tensile and viscosity properties of
any liquid. One modality uses a laser-derived beam of light
directed into a drop as it builds up on a drop-head, grows and
eventually falls off through gravity. The light is reflected
through the drop, and a trace is built up of its intensity over
time. The trace has been found to have very good discrimination
potential for various classes of liquid. Other sensing modalities
can be used, -- multiple simultaneous optical and near infrared
wavelengths, ultraviolet, ultrasound. In the studies reported on
here, we use the ultrasound modality. Further background on this
new technology for the fingerprinting of liquid content and
composition can be found in McMillan et al. (1992, 1998, 2000).
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.